Graduation and convocation ceremonies look a lot different in times of a pandemic. Almost all forms of formal & informal celebrations, festivals, conferences, and meetings have shifted to the virtual format of hosting events. And, it is now the time to take the special celebration of a graduation ceremony online. The idea of hosting such a significant moment virtually might sound a lot out of the box. But, it is actually not as bizarre as it sounds! In fact, hosting a virtual or hybrid graduation event can help you make the most out of the celebration by incorporating the best tools & features.
In this blog, we will not only help you know all about a digital graduation ceremony broadcast but also explore the best tips & ideas. Go ahead and find all your answers about a virtual graduation event.
What is a Virtual Graduation Event?
A Virtual Graduation Ceremony is a digital convocation celebration attended by prospective graduates, faculty, and families. The ceremony is usually organized over a virtual graduation ceremony platform, power-packed with efficient tools & platforms to ensure a memorable virtual celebration of the big day!
How Does Virtual Graduation Ceremony Work?
A Virtual or Digital Graduation Ceremony works by using a comprehensive virtual event platform. It enables you to record various aspects of the ceremony and live streaming it to the students and other participants. The execution of a digital graduation ceremony live streaming requires different high-quality equipment to cover the process and create an engaging event experience.
How Do You Do a Virtual Graduation Ceremony?
Explore the following virtual graduation ceremony ideas and tips to create an unforgettable celebration for all the attendees at the virtual event.
Top 10 Tips to Run a Memorable Virtual Graduation Ceremony
#1 Plan and Structure the Event Properly
Planning is any day a significant part of organizing events, be it a virtual or an on-site event. It not only helps you in setting specific milestones for the celebration but also in creating a well-structured flow for the event.
Therefore, begin the preparation of organizing a digital convocation event by creating a properly-structured event plan for smooth execution.
#2 Create a Well-Planned Event Agenda
Virtual event agenda is another vital aspect that you need to plan very practically, keeping different crucial segments in mind. One factor to remember while creating the event agenda is- remote attendees have a lower attention span at an online event. For example, you need to make sure that the duration of each session is not very long. Also, maintain the flow of your event in such a way that it is easy for your attendees to move from one topic or session to another.
#3 Predefine Your Event Requirements
As the next step is to choose a virtual venue, our tip is to define all your event requirements beforehand. It is so because many a time, people discover their necessities after they have made crucial decisions like selecting a virtual venue. Not that you can’t make arrangements afterward, but it is best to predefine all your event prerequisites before choosing virtual event technology. Based on your event goals, plan, and agenda, create a list of all the tools, features, or resources that you require for arranging a successful event.
#4 Pick the Right Virtual Graduation Ceremony Platform
It is vital to make a wise decision while choosing a virtual or hybrid graduation ceremony platform and not an impulsive one. Picking the right platform is one of the most crucial steps while arranging an event like a virtual convocation ceremony. Therefore, wisely select a virtual event solution that suits all your requirements and needs based on the event plan you create. As mentioned above, you can also create a checklist of all the features you need from the platform, so the process gets easier. Explore some of the top components that you must look for in a virtual graduation ceremony platform below:
- Excellent Interactive Opportunities
- Captivating Engagement Features
- Seamless Navigation
- Third-Party Integration
- Strong Network Connection
- Customizable Opportunities
- Stunning Venue Designs
- Complete Event-Data Analytics
- Robust Content Delivery Network for Smooth Live Streaming
- Safe and Secure Platform
- Proper Backend Support
#5 Make Use of the Break-Out Rooms
All advanced virtual event platforms come with the facility of break-out rooms that facilitates the attendees with a separate location in the virtual venue to interact and engage. So, use this feature so all your attendees can gather and spend a good time during the post-event reception. The educational institute usually hosts a reception after the ceremony during a physical event. Therefore, this tip can turn out to be a fun idea to create a flawless simulation of the on-site event experience for your attendees.
#6 Arrange Pre-Recorded Sessions
Instead of creating an event with a constant flow, bring a little transformation to it by including pre-recorded sessions. Many a time, a plane event structure or agenda can turn out to be very monotonous for your attendees’ experience. Therefore, try to include pre-recorded sessions that can further enhance excitement and engagement to your event. One idea is to record clips or video messages from the prospective graduates’ families. It can not only turn out to be an exciting session filled with happiness but also a great way to keep your attendees engaged.
#7 Make the Event as Interactive as Possible
Interactivity is one element that is of great significance for any online event. One fact that can easily define the importance of interactive tools in an event is, the extent of audience engagement is largely dependent on interactivity. And we are all aware of the value of audience engagement. Therefore, make sure you make your virtual convocation ceremony as interactive as possible. The most advanced virtual event platforms are well-equipped with various interactive features like:
- Multi-Format Communication
- Signature wall
- Live Polls
- 1:1 and Group Chats
- Live Q&A Sessions
- Interactive Chat Rooms
- Clickable Venue Elements
- On-Event CTA Announcements
- And a lot more!
#8 Encourage Engagement through Fun Sessions
The attendee engagement aspect is one aspect that greatly determines the success prospects of your virtual event. Also, the engagement component of a virtual event covers every other element. And, that is why engagement is a broad aspect that overall keeps your event together.
A productive virtual graduation ceremony tip to encourage engagement in your event is to include fun sessions throughout the event. These sessions can be anything from exciting videos to exciting games that bring all your attendees together.
#9 Include Mini-Breaks
Another crucial element to remember is including breaks between the sessions throughout the digital graduation. It is so because no matter how fun an event is, your attendees can have a tedious experience if not provided with proper breaks. Therefore, render your attendees with mini breaks between the sessions, so the event flow is maintained while ensuring excellent event engagement.
#10 Get the Word Out Early
Inform the invited attendees about the celebration in advance so they can begin preparing for the ceremony. A graduation ceremony is definitely a special event for any student that they cherish all their lives. Hence, the virtual or hybrid graduation ceremony has to be a memorable event with an experience to remember. And, as you make all the arrangements for the event, inform the invited participants so they can be all excited for the celebration with anticipation as the big day comes close in the calendar.
Let us move forward and explore some of the most exceptional virtual graduation ceremony ideas to ensure creating an enthralling event experience!
Top 10 Virtual Graduation Ceremony Ideas
#1 Send Digital Graduation Ceremony Invitations
Create well-designed and exciting virtual graduation invites to build up the much-needed anticipation amongst the prospective graduates and their families. You can also use these custom-designed invitations to inform the attendees about an awaited celebration of their lives. Another idea is, you can send some convocation-themed goodies or presents to add to your attendees’ excitement.
#2 Customize the Virtual Venue
Almost all advanced virtual graduation ceremony platforms provide the users with the opportunity to customize the virtual event platform as per their requirements. Also, this does not happen on a basic level, as you can efficiently personalize each and every feature of the platform. Not just this, but as you would wish to live stream the convocation, you can also personalize the background and speaker’s screen that is visible to all your attendees. This idea can help you deliver a more authentic and personalized event experience.
Another amazing advantage that comes with choosing the right virtual event platform is, you can even customize the virtual venue to look like your educational institute’s locations. Hey, wait! You can even create a simulation of your whole educational institute so your attendees feel like they are right there in the moment.
#3 Add Gamification Features to the Virtual Graduation Ceremony
Gamification is one virtual event platform feature without which, any online celebration is incomplete. To level up the fun and excitement at your digital graduation ceremony, introduce various gamification features to ensure a matchless event experience. While you can integrate fun games on the platform itself, you can also dedicate a whole session to indulging in exciting games. This idea can not only enhance the excitement at the digital graduation celebration but also add more value to engagement aspects.
#4 Introduce Fun Hashtags for the Virtual Celebration
Brainstorm with your creative team and come up with exciting virtual graduation ceremony-related hashtags. Almost everybody is an active user of social media, and you can make use of this feature to enhance the anticipation for your online celebration. Introduce an engaging hashtag that all your attendees can use as they share posts related to the digital graduation event.
#5 Try Spotlighting Each Prospective Graduate with a Slideshow
To keep all your attendees engaged and ensure that they have a memorable event experience, make sure that all the participants feel acknowledged. And, an efficient idea to assure this is to create an image slide show of all the students getting graduated. Another idea to enhance the fun is, creating a personalized template with the convocation theme. It will help you make the slideshow feel more relatable and connected. Not just a slideshow, but you can also dedicate a session where each student can share their thoughts and journey. It can overall be a great engaging & exciting session for all.
#6 Introduce Digital Graduation Ceremony Filters
It is a possibility that not all prospective graduates have the much-needed convocation gown and cap. A convocation gown and the mortarboard hat are always a must in a convocation ceremony. So the virtual graduation ceremony idea is to build an automatic filter that adds the convocation cap and gown to the screen. It is almost exactly the feature that most social media platforms use. The attendees can also capture images in this filter and directly share them on their social media profiles.
#7 Dedicate a Session for Active Student Interaction
It’s a graduation ceremony, and we are sure that the attendees have a lot to share and talk about. Therefore, include a session where all your attendees can actively interact with each other and also the faculty member. The exceptional feature of networking tables can also be used in this scenario. At these virtual tables, the participants can simply gather to have a valuable conversation. During this session, the attendees can not only share their exciting stories & memories but also appreciate each other as a happy journey meets its happy end.
#8 Create a Digital Graduation Video & Present it During the Event
Create an exciting virtual graduation video to help your participants relive the times they have spent. This video can incorporate content of every moment from academic activities & clips to fests & celebrations. To further enhance the happiness of the session, include a motivational aspect to the session. For example, the faculty and family members can share an encouraging message, motivating the attendees to perform better.
#9 Include a Photo Booth Feature
Help your participants capture the happy moments on the memorable graduation day with a customized virtual photo booth. You can either choose from the template designs of a photo booth or design your own. However, it is best to create a design of your own with a customized graduation-related theme. Your attendees can easily capture images at the booth and share them to their social media platforms. Also, they can do this directly from the virtual venue, using the hashtag you introduced.
#10 Offer Digital Certificates to all the Students
Lastly, create personalized digital certificates and add to a memorable virtual event experience by offering these certificates to the attendees. You can also appreciate the students for making it to the convocation, followed by including a motivational quote to the certificate. This way, not only do your attendees feel delighted, but the event comes to an end with a happy note!
A virtual graduation or convocation ceremony is going to be a big and memorable part of any student’s life. Therefore, create a well-planned event structure & agenda while ensuring only the best features throughout the event. Go ahead and host a digital graduation ceremony to remember!
